France’s Ministry of Defense commissions Airbus to provide cybersecurity training for armed forces

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Long-term contract for cybersecurity training launched in the French Ministry of Defense

The French Directorate of General Armaments (DGA) has signed a groundbreaking framework agreement with Airbus Defence and Space for the education and training of all cybersecurity experts in the Ministry of Defence. This agreement also includes the French Armed Forces’ cyber warriors and is scheduled for a term of eight years.

Comprehensive service description of the framework agreement

Under the leadership of Airbus Defence and Space and its cooperation partner Neverhack, comprehensive training platforms will be designed, produced, and operationally maintained in the coming years. The contract also includes the provision of training and coaching services, as well as the development of practical scenarios for operational cyber defense.

Particular attention is being paid to equipping the Cyber ​​Defense Command’s Cyber ​​Defense Academy (COMCYBER) in the Rennes region with a state-of-the-art cyber defense center. This training site will serve as the operational preparation site for cyber warriors, offering specific courses for various cyber specialists.

Objectives of cyber training to strengthen defense capabilities

The training is intended not only to increase the number of qualified cybersecurity experts, but also, in particular, to significantly improve the defense techniques and operational capabilities of the armed forces. Through practical exercises, the aim is to increase the level of maturity in dealing with the dynamic threat landscape in cyberspace.

Realistic training environment including digital battle simulations

The training platforms are designed to simulate comprehensive attack and defense scenarios – both in the context of military operations on digital battlefields and in large-scale national, higher-level, or multinational exercises such as “Orion” or “DefNet.”

The exercise covers the full range of modern cyber threats, including malware attacks, denial-of-service attacks, data theft, information manipulation, and influence operations such as social media disinformation.

Willingness to innovate through the integration of new technologies

In order to respond flexibly to future threats and technological developments, Airbus plans to cooperate with start-ups and small to medium-sized companies, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence.

Highly realistic simulation environments for armed forces networks and weapon systems

The embedded applications will realistically replicate the complex environments of military networks and information systems, including C4ISR (command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) and weapons systems.

Each use case includes IT infrastructure, advanced simulations of cyberattacks, physical phenomena, and “life simulations” that realistically integrate legitimate, accidental, or malicious user activities.

Airbus Defence and Space’s experience in cyber training

Airbus Defence and Space brings nearly a decade of experience operating CyberRange platforms. These are used by various government ministries and sensitive industrial sectors for training, exercises, challenges, and larger events – such as “Passe ton Hack D’abord,” organized by COMCYBER and the French Ministry of Education for 7,000 students.

The Airbus CyberRange platform is also deployed in over 25 partner schools to enrich their cybersecurity training programs with challenging training environments and thus contribute to the training of a broad group of experts.

Further security-related services from Airbus Defence and Space

In addition to training, Airbus Defence and Space also provides Security Operation Centers (SOCs), which are operated by the French Army both domestically and during missions abroad to ensure the security of information and communication systems.

With this comprehensive cybersecurity training contract, France underscores its strategic priority of massively expanding cyber defense capabilities within the armed forces and effectively countering current and future threats in the digital space. Collaboration with established partners such as Airbus Defence and Space and innovative medium-sized companies ensures that the Ministry of Defense remains technologically up-to-date and that professional cyber forces receive optimal training.